Basketball board game

ABSTRACT

A basketball board game using a playing board and playing pieces tests a player(s) skill, strategy and luck. The playing board simulates a regulation basketball court and the playing pieces represent basketball players and a basketball. The method of play incorporates physical activity by the game players, combined with strategy and luck to provide a basketball game experience.

BACKGROUND

[0001] What is needed is a board game that simulates aspects ofBasketball that combines physical skills and luck to create a basketballgame experience for children and adults.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0002] The present invention meets the above-described need by providinga board game that mimics basketball player movements with game piecesrequiring that each player rely upon physical skills to play.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

[0003] Photo #1): Displays the game board (playing surface) andbasketball goals used to simulate regulation basketball court dimensionsand lines.

[0004] Photo #2): Displays the game pieces used to simulate basketballplayers for use with the game.

[0005] Photo #3 and #4): Displays the technique for moving the gamepieces used to simulate basketball players during the gaming process.

[0006] Photo # 5 and #6): Displays a technique for simulating abasketball shot during the gaming process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] (Game Board) is designed to imitate/replicate on a smaller scalea regulation basketball court and can be made of wood, plastic,cardboard, rubber, or any other suitable materials. Basketball goals areattached, affixed, or stand alone, either on, or close to the playingsurface.

[0008] Other Playing Pieces—

[0009] Playing pieces are constructed of wood, plastic, rubber,cardboard (or any other suitable material) and can be either flat orslightly raised in a variety of shapes sizes and colors. These playingpieces are used to represent basketball players.

[0010] Basketball is designed to simulate a basketball and sized toscale for the basketball goals incorporated into the game design. Thebasketball material could be plastic, rubber, vinyl or other suitablematerials.

[0011] Rules of Play

[0012] Each player chooses a team (recommended the home team uses theirlighter colored game pieces, the visiting team uses their darker coloredgame pieces).

[0013] Determine which team will get the ball first (Home Team, VisitingTeam, coin flip, etc.) (See Also “Dropped Ball” in Alternative Rulesection).

[0014] Each team alternates offensive series. A series is the movementof all 3 of their players towards the opponent's basket and eacheligible player can then take a shot at their opponent's basketballgoal.

[0015] The team on defense sets their player pieces on the game courtanywhere they choose. Once the defense is set, the offensive player'sgame pieces are set on their edges, plucking the corner of the gamepiece, they will spin towards their opponents basket (similar tospinning a coin, hold on its edge with a finger resting on top to keepsteady, then with other hand pluck the edge so that the piece spinsfreely from under your finger towards the opponents goal).

[0016] The offensive players are set on their edges and spun from twopossible areas. One area is their own team's baseline (where the ball isinbounded in regulation basketball) and/or any area from their ownbaseline to the half court line. For every defensive player that issetup in the half of the court closets to their opponent's goal(considered a pressing defense), an offensive game piece must be spunfrom their own baseline. For every defensive player that is setup in thehalf of the court closest to the basket they are defending, an offensiveplayer's game piece is spun from any area between their own baseline andthe half court line.

[0017] Strategy Note: When the defensive player places his game piecesin their opponents half of the court (press), it forces the offensiveplayer pieces to travel a farther distance, thus potentially creatingmore difficult shots (or no shots at all, if the offensive piece goesout of bounds or lands on a defensive player piece [FOUL]). When thedefensive player places his game pieces back in his own zone, close thethe basket he/she is defending, it creates a better opportunity to be“fouled” (when offensive player game piece comes to rest on top of adefensive player's game piece), because they are taking up more space inthe area the offensive team is trying to get to and shoot from.

[0018] Once all of the offensive player game pieces have been spun, onlythose players that remain in bounds; have not committed a foul (landedon opponent's game piece); or landed on their own teammate game pieceare eligible to take a shot at the basketball goal. Shots are taken bybouncing the basketball off of the eligible offensive player's gamepiece and into the basket. Most effective manner is to hold basketballin hand slightly behind and above your player piece (and in a straightline from your hand to the basketball goal) and then gently throw thebasketball onto your player piece (will take practice and players skillswill develop over time). In order for the basket to count, it muststrike the offensive player's game piece.

[0019] NOTE: 1) All eligible offensive player's are allowed to take ashot, regardless of whether a goal has already been made during theseries by using another offensive game piece. This means that during anoffensive series, the offensive player may score up to 9 points (33point goals) during his possession. 2) An offensive player is consideredout of bounds (not eligible to shoot) if they land anywhere outside ofor if any portion of their game piece is touching the out of bounds line(similar to regulation basketball rules). 3) When an offensive playergame piece lands on top of (covers any portion of a defensive playergame piece) then a foul on that player is called and they are noteligible to shoot. On the 3rd or more foul of any half, the defensiveplayer is allowed to take two free throws (place game piece at foul lineand shoot at basket for two shots—each shot=1 point). The defensiveplayer can take more than two foul shots (if more than 1 defensiveplayer is fouled, up to 6 foul shots in one series if all 3 defensiveplayers are fouled). The free throws are shot after any and all eligibleoffensive players have taken their shots. Once the free throws areattempted, the next series begins and the team, which took the freethrows, now gets their regular offensive possession. (4) All madebaskets by an offensive game piece is worth 2 points, unless all of thatplayer's game piece is beyond (and not touching any part of) the threepoint line (similar to regulation basketball), in which case a madebasket is worth 3 points. (5) If an offensive player lands on top ofanother offensive player, then the player on top is removed from actionfor the series (picked up and placed to the side) and cannot take ashot.

[0020] A series (also called possession) is an offensive player's gamepiece movement (all three players), shots taken by any and all eligibleoffensive game pieces, then any free throws by the defense (if 4^(th) ormore fouls in half). Then the possession changes, the player that justtook their offensive possession, places his player game pieces intodefensive position. Each player should have the same number ofpossessions during the game, however the number of possessions for eachquarter, half, and game can be based on player preferences (we recommend10 possession per team each half, for a total of 20 possessions per halfand 40 total for the game).

[0021] Alternative Rules/Modifications

[0022] The number of possessions (or series) should be predeterminedbefore the start of game play, but can fluctuate to better suit eachplayer.

[0023] The number of fouls before “Free Throws” are taken could bemodified to suit player preferences, however basic rules suggest thethird foul (in any half) would trigger a defensive players free throws.

[0024] It is recommended that one shot be taken for each eligibleplayer, however before the game it could be determined that the playersmay take more than one shot at the goal for each eligible player.

[0025] To determine which team gets their offensive possession first,all player game pieces are positioned around the outside of the jumpcircle (at midcourt) the ball is held over the midcourt circle anddropped, which ever team's game piece the ball strikes first will havethe first possession (if no game piece is hit with the ball, continue todrop the ball until a player game piece is struck).

[0026] Enforcing the rule that the ball must strike the eligibleoffensive player game piece when they are shooting, could be manipulatedto simply ensure the ball is not bounced (shot) from a closer or shorterposition to the basketball goal. (i.e. as long as the ball is shot fromthe eligible player or further from the basketball goal, the shot wouldcount).

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of playing a basketball board game,comprising: playing surface designed to resemble a regulation basketballcourt, playing pieces designed to represent basketball players arepositioned and moved to simulate basketball action, and playing piecesare used collectively to simulate the basketball experience includingshots taken at the simulated basketball goals.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein playing pieces designed to represent basketball players are heldon their edge and spun to generate momentum and movement on the playingsurface.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein playing pieces are usedcollectively to simulate the basketball experience including shots takenat the simulated basketball goals, the player movements (method of claim2) are used to position where the ball game piece is bounced off of theplaying pieces in an attempt to get the ball into the basketball goalgame piece.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the ball game piece isbounced by a game player off of the game pieces so as to strike the gamepieces and bounce upwards towards the basketball goal. While theinventor has described in detail a preferred embodiment of thebasketball board game as it might be played, there are rulemodifications that could be adopted. Therefore it is not intended thatit should be limited to any such particulars or embodiments or anyparticular embodiment. But it is to be construed with references to theappended claims, so as to provide the broadest possible interpretationof such claims, to effectively encompass the intended scope of theinvention.